Shadows of the Dreamers
by AlphaSlime
Summary: I haven't check if anyone else did this but this is my version. Rating M for violence. SPOILERS for main quests. TLDR: Modern day Warframe battle royale. An entity of the void drags ten people from a modern day city in to a game for their lives. The winner is granted their deepest desire. Can one stay the same when given power? What does the demon gain by forcing them to fight?
1. Chapter 1

In comparison to my other work, this one will be shorter, faster, and a little more off the rails. The BR concept was what I originally thought would be a fun idea

since there were so many unique frames. But I don't think Warframe needs a BR mode, balancing is already a nightmare in my story. I'm pulling some themes

from Kamen rider, mostly from Blade and Ryuki. The battle royale that the story starts with is influenced a lot (superficially at least) by Ryuki. I tried to mirror

the frames and riders as best I could. I filled the rest of the roster with whatever I thought was appropriate. I released this closer to April 1st what with how

wacky it might get.

* * *

"Die!" A figure shrouded in darkness cried out as they shot arrows from their peculiar looking weapon.

(Shit!) The young girl thought as the arrows flew by her head, landing in the trees near her. She had hoped the darkness of the park would help her but it

hindered her vision instead of the pursuer's. She hastily pulled out her cell phone and started to call the police. But an arrow came out of nowhere and grazed

her forearm, causing her to drop her cell.

"Ugh!" She recoiled in pain but kept running, knowing she would die if she stopped. The moon was out tonight, so she was lucky that she could see at all.

Nevertheless, she quickly realized her mistake and started to run towards the street lamps.

Her cardio was quite excellent so she could still run a few more miles if needed, though her pursuer was quite persistent. She made it into the light and headed

towards the well lit gazebo area of the park. Unfortunately for her, a couple arrows suddenly flew past her and in to the spot where she would've been. The girl

turned around, shaking with fear, as the attacker revealed themselves with what appeared to be a handheld crossbow pointed at her.

They were humanoid in shape but their blue hued head evoked the imagery of a sea creature.

"Give me what you got from the relic and I'll kill you quickly. Don't make this harder for the both of us!" The mouthless figure said with an aggressive tone.

"You don't have to do this, you can just walk away with it, without taking my life" The girl tried to reason as she slowly started to step back.

"You know that's a lie!" He roared as he shot another arrow past the girl, causing her to stop moving. He was angry, but not at the girl, he did not want to

become a murderer. But he had to do it, they all had to.

"You'll kill me either way right? Well you can take them from my cold dead hands!" Having had enough of him, the girl resolved herself to fight. And although

there was a small breeze before, the wind started to pick up and lightly swirl around her.

"Z-" She started to say but as soon as she did, the attacker made his move. She was about to invoke her frame, giving her time to bring it out was not wise.

[Tidal Surge]

His body turned in to a wall of water and came crashing towards the girl. His speed astonished and made her freeze in fear as she felt her life pass by her eyes.

"Agh!" She cried out in pain as her body was thrown several meters back.

The wall of water reformed next to her and pointed what looked like a cutlass at her neck. Though he had hit her, her Warframe had still came out.

"Heh, Zephyr? That's what yours is called right? Mine is known as "Hydroid" Hydroid remarked as he wound up to stab his Nami Skyla in to Zephyr.

BANG

No sooner did he say that when a shot rang past his head. He stepped back from Zephyr as more shots came at him.

"Show yourself!" Hydroid yelled as he took his Ballistica out and started to shoot towards the origin of the shots.

The shots stopped and the distant sounds of the city filled the air once more. Hydroid decide to move towards the shadows and hoped to kill Zephyr from there,

hopefully away from the sight of the unknown third party.

BANG

"Aggh!" Unfortunately for him, this move was anticipated and his shields were damaged a bit.

He recovered just in time to see a large figure rushing at him from the shadows.

CLANG

His Nami Skyla could barely hold back the huge blade as the figure pushed him back in to the light.

"Hydroid, I believe you should make your exit now. Fighting two frames is not recommended at this point." Neptune, Hydroid's Cephalon, stated.

"Tch, fine. I'll fight you cowards some other time!"

BANG

The large red figure had took out their Rubico and fired it at Hydroid's stomach, and despite hurting like hell his shields somehow held on. He

quickly decided that he shouldn't dally any further on getting out of there.

[Undertow]

[Tidal Surge]

His first ability turned his body into a large puddle of water and the second allowed him to move at high speed in to the darkness where the red figure couldn't

target him.

"Coward? Heh, so says the one running away." The red figure remarked as they approached Zephyr, who hastily pulled out their Tiberon.

"Are you here to kill me too?" Zephyr said with a cautious tone as she backed up, planning to use her [Tail Wind] at the right moment.

"I'm Chroma, and nice to meet you too, Zephyr." Chroma shrugged as he spoke in a causal tone.

"That's not my name! And you still haven't answered me!" Zephyr said as she took a step back, her hands starting to shake.

"Hmm." Chroma took a step towards Zephyr.

"I'm warning you! I'll-"

CLANG

With the flat side of his Gram, Chroma slapped the Tiberon from Zephyr's hands. He then rested the large blade on her shoulders, next to her neck. After that,

Chroma leaned in close to Zephyr's face.

"If I wanted you dead you would've been killed by Hydroid. Then I would've killed him as he was looting you."

Chroma backed off and then placed his sword on to his back. He went and picked up Zephyr's Tiberon then tossed it back to her.

"Come on, we need to talk. And hurry up, we don't know if others are nearby." Chroma beckoned to Zephyr as he started to walk away.

"Why should I?" Zephyr asked as she held her Tiberon again, slowly contemplating to use it on Chroma.

"Hey, I saved you so maybe you should listen. And though it might not mean much, I promise I won't hurt you if you also refrain from such actions. I need

someone like you, which is why I just want to talk." Chroma said as he holstered both his weapons, as a sign of good faith.

"Fine, one quick talk, but I'm staying as Zephyr." She holstered her weapons as well and started to follow Chroma.

"Ha, wouldn't have it any other way."

"Wait, I need to find my phone before we leave this place." Zephyr stopped as she finally remembered it was gone.

"We'll have to get it later. It's hard to see and who knows if that guy is still lurking around."

"Fine. I guess it's about time for a new one anyways." Zephyr sighed as she wrote her phone off in her mind. She caught up with Chroma and they quickly left

the park.


	2. Chapter 2

After they left the park, Chroma dispelled his frame. "See? I'm harmless." Chroma said as Zephyr was still firmly holding on to her TiberonZephyr was silent and didn't appear to

budge on leaving her frame.

"Our frames aren't exactly inconspicuous you know? Hydroid could still be lurking around."

"Fine." Zephyr finally gave in and changed under the darkness of a nearby alley.

Chroma then led them to an street nearby that was a popular place for tourists to visit, so it was well lit.

They walked side by side in silence for a bit before Chroma spoke.

"Freshman?" Chroma asked, throwing his best guess out from Zephyr's appearance.

"Sophomore, actually. And you?" Zephyr said as she shook her head.

"Hmm. I would've been a Sophomore too around this time of the year." Chroma slightly chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't the first time people were forced to fight." Zephyr's eyes grew wide as she took that information in.

She raised her right wrist and was about to pull up the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"Stop!" Chroma quickly placed his right hand over hers and lowered it.

Zephyr was surprised but quickly complied.

"Don't do that. If you want to talk to your cephalon, don't make it so obvious. Remember there's people coming for your head. I'd recommend getting an ear piece, they can

replicate signals to connect to your phone. And plus, you can just talk to him at a normal volume too."

"So Mercury can find my phone?" Zephyr asked with a little apprehension, as she was more than a little

attached to her lost item.

"They can't do that, the Cephalons are our partners but they're not allowed to interfere. Only to offer advice and provide um mental support I guess."

Zephyr frowned and started to work on her hair, to anyone looking at her, it would appear that she was simply putting it in to a ponytail.

She made sure that the gauntlet/armband on her wrist that Mercury was housed in in, was covered.

She went as slowly as she could, so that she could speak.

"Mercury is what he saying true?" She said as she pulled her hair together.

"Yes, there have been some previous situations like this one. He is also correct in that I can't do anything to physically affect the outcome."

Mercury said as Zephyr pulled up her hair and wrapped her hair tie twice.

There was currently not a lot of people around them in the dead of night, so Mercury spoke in a volume so that Chroma could hear as well.

"I've been with Jupiter here, for my now third battle. And I can't help but wonder if the reason I beat the others was because you guys gave bad advice."

Chroma had taken a jab at Mercury after he gave what Chroma thought to be a rigid and borderline evasive answer.

"It is not our fault if our partners don't heed our advice. You are lucky, Jupiter, that your partner follows yours closely. Or perhaps you are simply lucky to have Jupiter, it must be

hard to lead someone like you."

"Chroma, Mercury, please. This is a new day, let the past stay where it is."

Jupiter said as Chroma started to narrow his eyes at Zephyr's wrist.

Chroma dropped his glare since he didn't want to make Zephyr feel anymore uneasy.

Zephyr was surprised that Chroma and Mercury had bad blood, so she quickly tried to move things along.

"Um, what's your name? Chroma can't be something I call you all the time."

"It has to be, "Zephyr", it'll be easier for us when we have to fight."

Chroma said with a hard look at Zephyr, making sure to impart the seriousness of his words.

"If this is your third time, can I assume you won the last two?" Zephyr said as she looked up towards the starless night sky.

"Yes."

Chroma answered curtly.

Zephyr suddenly stopped and raised her left arm to stop Chroma.

"Hm?" Chroma looked at Zephyr puzzled.

Zephyr was staring at the ground now and seemed to be slightly shaking.

She walked about six steps forward before turning around and facing Chroma again.

"Why are you doing this?" Zephyr said, in a soft voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I'm an easy target and that's why you're being friendly right now?"

This type of accusation wasn't unforeseen by Chroma, but nevertheless he took a bit to choose his next words carefully.

"Zephyr, look. I may have won those past battles but it doesn't mean I killed all of them.

I could see that some of them didn't deserve to win. You meet all kinds of people in a situation like this.

People can become twisted when their lives are threatened, that's what I use to think.

But now? I think this power and the opportunity that is promised only serves to reveal who we really are on the inside.

And from you? I saw that Hydroid would've killed you, I saw you hesitate even until the end.

I don't think that's weakness, I think it's best to never forget that feeling of questioning whether it's right to kill.

Hydroid wanted something so badly he didn't hesitate to kill you on the first day."

"So, you want to help me win?"

"Not exactly, I want to stack the deck, to make sure that no one abuses that "wish" the winner was promised.

But I'd be foolish to assume I'll win every time.

So in case I die, I want to at least be hopeful that someone who most deserves it wins.

But, despite believing that someone good should win, I'll still fight until the end."

"What if everyone deserves to live?"

"I don't believe that'll happen. Eventually, someway, somehow, people crack under pressure.

They always fight. So call it pity or whatever in me saving you.

I'm hoping that in the end one of the two walk away from this."

"You want to work together so that the prize isn't misused?"

"Basically."

"I panicked since I was scared. That was all to it. I'm not some saint."

"That's understandable, it's a tall order to fight and an even greater one to kill."

"All I'm saying is, I'm probably no different from the others. I can't guarantee that I'll be what you're looking for."

"I developed a way of testing people, just ask them one question."

"What's that?"

"What is your wish if you win?"

Zephyr was taken aback by Chroma's words and had to really think hard for an answer.

"I honestly don't have one. There's nothing that pressing or something that I really want that much."

"You would think that's a normal answer, but the truth is, most people have desires and that puts them lower on the deserving scale in my eyes."

"And you don't have desires?" Zephyr asked with much skepticism.

"Not after the things I've been through. So the more altruistic the wish, the more deserving is what I believe now.

And having no wish is also an acceptable answer, I'm sure you would find a good use for it.

So, please, stay true and don't stray from your current self."

Zephyr took a deep breath and sighed.

"Alright, Chroma. I'll join you, I'm kind of useless in fighting though."

She said as she finally dropped her guard and approached Chroma again.

"Don't worry, I'll train you. Our final fight will be on more even terms."

"You think that's a good idea?" Jupiter chimed in as Chroma declared his promise to Zephyr.

"I want to think that I have some honor left."

"Mercury, your opinion?" Zephyr asked, since her partner was surprisingly silent.

"Hmph! It doesn't matter, you would've joined him even if I, and I do, hate this.

But it's already too late, he's not someone you can beat right in your current state.

Our fates are entirely in his hands now."

Chroma turned back to Zephyr.

"You know why I won't betray you, right? I want to guarantee my last opponent is you.

And you'll be able to survive with me supporting and protecting you."

"That sounds too good to be true, but if you put it that way, then I'll promise not to betray you too.

For all that's worth in something like this."

"It's fine."

Chroma gave Zephyr a comforting smile as they shook hands on it.

But in the back of his mind, Chroma already knew what he would do if she ever truly betrayed him.

He would cut her down without a second thought, after all it would be proven to him that he couldn't trust her anymore and that she was no longer worthy in his eyes.


End file.
